Disinformation: Contactless thermometers are used to irradiate people
Verdict: Fake News
Fever is one of the major symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Therefore, according to the existing regulations, measuring temperature is a precondition to enter a variety of indoor or outdoor public spaces. For instance, these include food facilities, shopping malls, examination centres, etc. In accordance with the school regulations for the 2020-2021 academic year, thermal screening is one of the preconditions to enter school premises.
Generally, contactless thermometers are used to measure temperature in public spaces. There is false and misleading information reported through social networks in regard to the aforementioned thermometers. In particular, according to social media posts, thermometers emit harmful light which damages the human psyche and the brain. These manipulative stories were mostly reported in the Facebook group, “Let’s Defeat Coronavirus/COVID-19 Together,” which has over 19,000 members.
Personal Facebook accounts of those circulating disinformation Facebook posts:
Madlena Barabadze – Corona Mafia
“Somebody has to inform people on those standing armed with the so-called ‘measuring devices’ that laser radiation is harmful for the brain… Do not try to convince me they are safe!!! Whoever holds those in their hands are murderers! Inscribe ‘murderer’ on your forehead! And another fact – convince me that after putting a barcode on your forehead you lost your faith? Remember the prophecy of Monk Gabriel? On the hand and the forehead, if you take a look at the movie the Second Coming, you will see a similar device, take a close look! Do not stand in line like sheep to have that laser touch your brain! You have to understand that!!!”
Nana Mamatsashvili – “Let’s Defeat Coronavirus/COVID-19 Together”
“What are you going to do? Children will have their temperature checked at school every day? If someone did escape from getting overpowered by drugs, they are now targeted to have their brains damaged by irradiation.”
Nina Marji – “Let’s Defeat Coronavirus/COVID-19 Together”
“No thermal screening whatsoever!
A Healthy child does not need that!
Our children should not be irradiated by infrared light every day and have their psyches shaken. This irradiation is also used for THE treatment of oncological diseases.
In THE case of fever, our children will be doomed for testing!
This means infecting our future generation!
Children have to keep distance FROM each other. They are disallowed from even borrowing a pencil from their peers. Their hearts are pushed to turn into stone and kill their ability to love. Do you know what that means? This will hugely affect children’s s psychology, reflect on their souls and bodies and eventually we will have a psychopath generation!!!
I’m not even saying what would happen to the teachers’ lungs and bronchial system as a result of wearing face masks for a long period of time!!! Because a person needs twice as much oxygen during mental work.
This is a vandal law!
This is a law of psychopaths.
This law was recently adopted by our government to destroy our children.
Teachers and parents, the ball is in your court.
Let’s protect our children!
This law has to be abolished!
This is Georgia!!!”
How a Contactless Thermometer Works and Is it a Health Hazard?
Contactless thermometers are also called infrared thermometers. The market offers multiple different types of contactless thermometers, although their mode of application is similar. According to the website of one of the producers, contactless thermometers employ a lens which focuses infrared light emitted from a human body. When infrared light falls on the thermometer’s detector surface, it is turned into heat and later displayed as a temperature. The higher a body’s infrared energy is, the hotter the detector gets and the thermometer shows a higher temperature. Therefore, contactless thermometers are safe and it is impossible to use them to irradiate people.
Of note is that some contactless thermometers employ a laser to indicate a temperature.
Contactless thermometers are mostly pointed at the forehead since it was recognized as one of the body’s areas where temperature can be measured with high precision. However, in the case of incorrect use, the thermometer may display a flawed temperature.
According to the information of the United States Food and Drug Administration, the use of contactless infrared thermometers cuts the risk of spreading disease and rapidly measures temperature. In addition, it is simple to use and clean. However, of additional note is that multiple other factors (environment, head coverings, incorrect posture) may affect the precision of the temperature reading.
Of further note is that false information on the harmfulness of contactless thermometers (for instance, thermometers can damage brain cells and vision) is promoted not only in Georgia but across the world, including Europe and Latin America. A myriad fact checking organisations conclude that such information does not correspond to the truth (see link 1, link 2, link 3 and link 4).
